A few of my favorite things - October 2013

          Happy October! The combination of crisp air, colorful gourds, and candy corn make this my favorite month of the year! Beautiful, striking colors are lining the farm-side produce stands, glowing vermilion, white, and jack-o-lantern orange in the glancing afternoon sunlight. (snapshot by mom!) In commemoration of this final, colorful harvest of the year, I'd like to share a few of my favorite fall-themed accoutrements!

1. Vermilion sweater (St. John) + orange patterned blouse (GAP) - I paired a favorite vermilion sweater with an orange print, to mimic the complementary colors of the pumpkins.

2. OPI Did you 'ear about Van Gogh? (reviewed here) - This shade reminds me of wheat fields ready for harvest; it's an appropriate sentiment, given Van Gogh's proclivity for the subject in his artwork.

3. Essie nail polish in Blanc* -This color channels the pale white of the albino pumpkins, as well as little bedsheet phantasms that will appear on neighborhood sidewalks later on this month!

4. Dior Vernis in Riviera (reviewed here) -I find that sporting a bright vermilion is a chic alternative to classic jack-o-lantern orange this month.

5. CHANEL Double Perfection Lumière powder foundation - I'm proud to say I hit pan on this foundation! Needless to say, it's still getting a lot of love.

6.  Diptyque satchel - I love little logo pouches and was tickled when Mr. Lovey brought this one home for me. It's perfect for housing my collection of Diptyque perfume samples! (Be sure to check out my Diptyque perfume reviews here).

The perfect storage solution for my collection of Diptyque samples!

          I hope you enjoyed my ode to October! The combination of vermilion and white is a colorfully crisp variation on a fall theme that I'm going to enjoy incorporating into my routine this month. And of course, a dash of jack-o-lantern orange is always appropriate as well!

        Thanks for reading! What kind of colors and cosmetics are inspiring you this October?

Love, Dovey.
*Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent to Cute and Mundane for consideration. The ideas and opinions in this post are genuine and my own.

Oyster + Sand

          Though there are many beautiful shells in the sea, I often find myself drawn to that of the humble oyster. There's something endearing about the knobbly mottled exterior. Lately I've been weaned myself off brights and have been wearing subtle neutrals instead. Neutral can describe so many different palettes. The one I'm describing today was inspired by the opalescent pink, greige, and beige colors in oysters and wet sand. The products used are shown above: MAC Vex eyeshadow, MAC Moleskin eyeshadow, Sunday Riley Moon Dust eyeshadow, and OPI Did You Ear About Van Gogh.

           Speaking of greige and beige, do you remember how Urban Decay's NAKED2 palette (reviewed here) was supposed to be a greige version of NAKED? Although this didn't apply to all the  eyeshadow colors, I did use the greige toned eyeshadow Verve from this palette for my 'Oyster + Sand' theme. NAKED2 really has been my most used palette this year; I can't say enough good things about it.

          To get my 'Oyster + Sand' themed look, I've been shuttling between three complex oyster like colors: MAC Vex, Sunday Riley Moon Dust (reviewed here) and Urban Decay Verve as lid colors. You can see from the swatches that Sunday Riley Moon Dust is a a greyed off-white, Urban Decay Verve is a frosty silver beige, and MAC Vex is a pale beige with pink opalescence. As seen in the shell above, I'll mix a beige, MAC Moleskin (reviewed here), into the crease to add some extra dimension. To top things off, I paint my tips and toes with the sandy chic color OPI Did you ear about Van Gogh? (reviewed here). This color always reminds me of wet sand. Put together, I think the overall effect is relaxed and beachy.

          Thanks for reading! Do you like oyster or sandy colors? Do you like oyster? (I feel a little Walrus-and-the-Carpenter saying this, but I love a good oyster on a half shell). What colors have you been wearing recently?

Love, Dovey.

Wedding nail polish colors

          The big day is drawing closer and a key beauty decision involves choosing polish colors. I hadn't made a final decision yet, so I packed a selection to choose from (shown above). For my fingers, I'm going with a sheer pink. The ones I packed were OPI It's a Girl, OPI Isn't that Precious?, OPI Bubble Bath, and Butter London Pink Ribbon. The first two are cooler pinks, while the second two are more like ballet pinks. Right now OPI Bubble Bath is the front runner because I love the formula and it's a barely there color. For my toes, I want to choose a more colorful pedi that can transition into the honeymoon. The colors I brought for toes include OPI Kiss me on my tulips (reviewed here), Dior Bikini (reviewed here), Dior Riviera (reviewed here), and NARS Trouville (reviewed here). I had initially planned to use OPI Kiss me on my tulips, however I'm now leaning towards NARS Trouville. Both are beautiful, so it will be hard to decide!

          The girls are treating me to a spa day before the wedding, and I decided to get a pedi done, but not a mani. I plan on doing my own nails because they're short and tend to grow fast. The nail gap becomes too obvious for my liking if I apply more than a day in advance. Since I'm using a sheer color, I'm confident that I can get it right. I packed the following items with me so I can make sure my manicure will pass muster: OPI Top Coat, Sephora by OPI Base Coat, Tweezerman mini manicure set, and Sephora nail buffer.

         Hopefully all will go well! What nail colors did you wear (or are planning on wearing) on your big day?

Love, Dovey.

March nail favorites

         This March, I've been wearing light and sheer makeup, however my nails have been packing a punch. They're all pink-y, peach-y, coral-y, or some combination of the above. I've taken these pictures in major sunlight, so all of them photographed towards the more saturated pink end of the spectrum. In more shaded lighting, they might lean more towards the orange end, as one would expect of these colors.

        Orly Lola is an old favorite. I think I've mentioned this bright yellow pink more times on this blog than I can count! OPI Guy Meets Gal-veston is a pinky-coral jelly. It's a bit sheer which makes for a Cool-Aid like effect that I like. L'Oreal Mango-Get-Em  is a really old favorite from back when I used to collect L'Oreal colors. It's the perfect coral. NARS Orgasm nail polish is a really pretty frosty peach with gold shimmer. This color is a bit too peach for my skin-tone, but I like it anyway.

       I suspect that from these colors I've been itching for a trip to somewhere tropical. Well, that's not happening soon, but a girl can dream, right? I hope everyone had a great March--- were you an April Fool? What has been on your nails lately?

Love, Dovey.

OPI Kiss me on my tulips review

        OPI Kiss me on my tulips nail polish is my second pick from the OPI Holland Spring 2012
collection. Tulips are one of my favorite flowers, so I thought I would start with some tulip trivia. Did you know that although tulips are often associated with the Netherlands, their cultivation originated in the Ottoman Empire? Their were seen as as a symbol of abundance and indulgence. In fact, the wealthiest era of the Ottoman empire is often called the Tulip Era!

          OPI Kiss me on my tulips is a bright pink. It's not quite a hot pink, but close. It has slight blue leanings, but otherwise is a very straightforward pink. The color is brighter in sunlight (like my swatches below) but is more subdued in lower or indoor light. The formula was on the thicker side for an OPI, however it leveled well. The color is quite opaque and no more than two coats are necessary.

          The closest color I have to OPI Kiss me on my tulips is Sephora by OPI Arm Candy. You can see from my swatches below that they're almost indistinguishable. In person, Arm Candy is slightly brighter than Kiss me on my tulips. I've added swatches of OPI You're a Pisa work and OPI Koala Bear-y (reviewed here) to demonstrate how drastically different they are from the bright pink of Kiss me on my tulips despite a similar intensity. I loved fuchsias for February, however, it's time for a change to pinker pinks now that it's spring.

        OPI Kiss me on my tulips is a bright and optimistic pink to wear as I anticipate flowers emerging from their buds. I plan on using this as a frequent pedi color as soon as it becomes sandal season around here (which is not quite yet). Thanks for reading! What kind of pinks are you favoring this spring? What are your favorite colors from OPI Holland? Do you have a favorite flower?

Love, Dovey.

OPI Did you 'ear about Van Gogh? review

         When the OPI Holland Spring 2012 collection was released, I knew I had to get my hands on OPI Did You 'ear about Van Gogh? nail polish. I loved the clean neutral color and the name certainly tickled my fancy! OPI Did you 'ear about Van Gogh is light and neutral stony chino creme nail polish. Depending on the lighting look more khaki or more stone. The significant khaki presence makes it more spring, as opposed to greyer 'greige' polishes. The neutral to cool color makes it easier for me to wear than nudes with warm or yellow tones. The formula is on the thicker side. It's not as smooth and dreamy as some OPI formulas, but it's not too bad. It levels out well and two coats is sufficient.

          I thought I would take a moment to discuss the color's namesake. Vincent Van Gogh was a post impressionist Dutch painter. You may know him for his vibrant paintings of Starry Night, sunflowers, wheat fields and a number of portraits and self portraits. The story of Van Gogh's lost ear is a famous one. It was originally thought that he cut it off himself during a fit of madness. More recently, historians argue that it was sliced off with a rapier during an argument with his friend (and fellow artist) Paul Gaugin. They purportedly kept a pact of silence so no-one knows the real story. You can read more about that story here. Here is a self portrait of him with his bandaged ear. Van Gogh's life story was quite tragic; his life was punctuated by episodes of madness and he died at 37 due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His work was appreciated by very few people until after his death.

A Van Gogh self portrait

          I've made a few comparison swatches to demonstrate the color of OPI Did you 'ear about Van Gogh. You can see that it is a far cry from last spring's OPI San Tan-Tonio. It's lighter and clearly not brown. I thought Sephora OPI Going Nude Eh? would be a close match, however you can see the Going Nude Eh? is more of a warm yellow based nude, while Did you 'ear about Van Gogh is has more khaki grey tones. However, you can see that Did you 'ear about Van Gogh is definitely not a grey when compared to Sephora by OPI Run with it.

Swatches from left to right: OPI San Tan-tonio, OPI Did you 'ear about Van Gogh?, Sephora by OPI Going Nude Eh?, Sephora by OPI Run with it

          In conclusion, OPI Did you 'ear about Van Gogh is a chic, airy, and slightly edgy neutral that will wear well for spring. I imagine that it would pair well with unabashed colors like Matisse blue or clover green. Thanks for reading! What were your picks from OPI Holland? Do you prefer neutral or bright nail colors for spring?

Love, Dovey.

New year, new favorites

          When the clock struck twelve on New Year's eve, my my mind hit a makeup reset button. I found myself reaching for natural and fresh tones. Here is what I used the most during January:

1. Urban Decay Naked 2 palette - I've used this palette almost every single day since I purchased it in early January. My most used colors include Bootycall, Tease, Pistol, Chopper, Snakebite, and Busted. (See my NAKED2 review and swatches here)
2. OPI Tickle my France-y (review and swatch here)
3. OPI Bubble Bath - Bubble bath gives my nail a sheer and polished finish.
4. Revlon Sugar Frosting lip butter -This was my first lip butter love and it did not disappoint.
5. Revlon Strawberry Shortcake lip butter is a fresh and cool pink (review and swatches here)
6. Maybelline Dream Bouncy blush in Orchid Hush - I love the slight lavender tones (review and swatches here)

7. NARS Concealer in Vanilla - I like to carry this around in my purse to cover up blemishes during the day. I like that it's not reflective and can be used for purposes other than under-eye concealing.
8. NARS Mayflower lipstick - a sheer strawberry pink
9. NARS Belle de Jour lipstick - a sheer peachy nude
10. Bobbi Brown eyeshadow in Smoke - I'm experimenting with this as an eyebrow color.

          The colors remind me of multicolored pebbles bathed in cold water of a New England beach. I think they'd look great with a striped nautical shirt, don't you think? I guess my imagination is in the mood for traveling lately. What sort of color palette do you find yourself reaching for in the new year? Have you been traveling at all this winter? Thanks for reading!

Love, Dovey.

Back to the fuchsia

          For me, February is going to be filled with fuchsia nail polish. Towards the end of January, that was all I was looking for. Can you believe that I had no fuchsia colors in my collection? I think I fell out of love with fuchsias and berry tones for quite a while. The situation was remedied by a trip to Ulta. The two colors I pulled off the nail polish racks were: OPI Koala Bear-y and OPI You're a Pisa work. I was tickled pink with the names! In this post I'll show my review and swatches of these two colors.

           Both OPI Koala Bear-y and OPI You're a Pisa work are fuchsia cremes. They look quite similar in the bottle too, as you can see. OPI Koala Bear-y is a slightly cooler and more berry toned. OPI You're a Pisa work is closer to pink. You can see from my swatch below that it seems ever so slightly warmer than Koala Bear-y. However, these differences are minute and in certain lights I can't tell the difference! Both have opaque formulas. One coat can be enough if I'm feeling impatient. Normally I still do two coats for good measure. The formula of OPI Koala Bear-y was amazing. It's what OPIs are supposed to be like. It spreads well and levels well. OPI You're a Pisa work was good, but not as stellar as its counterpart. The formula was a little thicker and drags a little more. However, it is just a minor issue.

          Can you tell which is which?

OPI Koala Bear-y (left two) and OPI You're a Pisa work (right two)

          I'm 'new' to fuchsia, but I really like how it works with my skin tone. I think it's a more flattering bright than hot pink or candy pink of a similar intensity. Overall, I'm glad to have both of Koala Bear-y and You're a Pisa work. They're  similar in color, but I have no problem with my decision to get both. I think that instead of having a balanced collection, focusing on shades you love is better because 1) you will wear them and 2) the nuances are meaningful to you. My current favorite of the two is Koala Bear-y. I'm favoring berry-blue tones at the moment! Finally, I may like fuchsia nails, but I haven't made the leap to lips yet. While the color is so optimistic and happy on the nails, I think it is intimidating on the face!

          Thanks for reading! How do you feel about fuchsia colors? What kind of pinks flatter your skin-tone? What is your nail color trend for this month? Let me know!

Love, Dovey.

Inspired by Pierre-Auguste Renoir

          Welcome to another episode of 'Inspired by art'! Today I want to share a look inspired by Pierre-Auguste Renoir's painting Two Sisters (1881). Two sisters was set on a restaurant terrace on the Seine River at Chatou. Incidentally, the two girls in the painting were not true sisters! I chose this painting because the warm brights mixed with the relaxed cool background reflect my wish for spring in the midst of winter.

          There is such a vivid yet genteel array of colors in the painting. The colors that I extracted included: the crisp ivory white of the little girl's outfit, the creamy white of the elder sister's complexion, the lavender blue of the railing, trees, and river, the ultramarine blue in the outfits, the mahogany railing, the red-orange of the hats, peach in the cornucopia and flowers, and an irreverent hint of fuschia in one flower of the little girl's hat.

          When choosing makeup colors, I focused on mattes and pretty colors. The products I chose to represent this Renoir-inspired look were:

• Ivory white - Bobbi Brown Ivory eyeshadow
• Creamy white - Bobbi Brown Navajo eyeshadow
• Lavender blue - Bobbi Brown Plum Navy eyeshadow
• Ultramarine blue - NARS Outremer eyeshadow
• Mahogany - Bobbi Brown Velvet Bronze eyeshadow and MUFE 18L eyeliner
• Red-orange - Chanel Peregrina lipstick mixed with a hint of NARS Red Lizard lipstick
• Peach - NARS Deep throat blush and NARS Sex Appeal blush
• Fuschia - OPI Koala Bear-y nail polish

          The seamless combination of colors is where the inherent beauty of the Renoir lies. However, it was challenging to combine them for a cohesive makeup look! The eyes should be simple. An ivory or creamy white base should be used all over the eye. The focus of the eye can be a simple line. For blue eyes, a mahogany pencil liner can be used  and the smudged with a similar colored or bronze eyeshadow. For brown eyes, a a damp angled liner brush can be used to draw a precise line with NARS Outremer. Cheeks are peach. NARS Sex Appeal can be used for a subtle matte peach finish or NARS Deep Throat can be used for a more flushed finish. Lips are a muted but pretty red-orange. I don't have this color so I mixed Chanel peregrina (a peach) with NARS Red lizard (red). Finally for an unexpected pop, I painted my nails a bright fuschia color.

          Thanks for reading! I enjoyed creating a look inspired by Renoir. What colors are inspiring you this (almost) spring? Where do you find your color inspirations? Do you have any favorite artists?

Love, Dovey.

Sunday Soak

          After a marathon session of watching NFL playoff games with Mr. Lovey today, I decided that I needed to unwind. We love football, but too much can be stressful! Inspired by Getting Cheeky's weekend pampering and Beauty Reductionista's LUSH Golden Wonder bath bomb posts from today, I decided to indulge in a bath.

        My bath bomb of choice was LUSH Sex Bomb. You can see the 'detonated' version above. It smells of beautiful jasmine, sage, and ylang ylang. I really love how it turns the water a rose pink. I haven't tried all the LUSH bath bombs yet, but this is my favorite so far. I had a really long and relaxing soak 

          After my bath, I followed up with a few items to pamper myself. I used a sample of Philosophy one minute microdelivery purifying peel. Afterwards I applied Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair serum and Avalon Organics Vitamin C serum. The Vitamin C serum is a current stand in for a face cream. When my skin isn't happy with other skincare products I'll stick with this serum; it always seems to do the trick. I used my Revlon lip butter in Strawberry Shortcake (reviewed here) for a fresh pink pout. I applied J.R. Watkins Mango Hand and Cuticle salve to seal in moisture to my hands which have been suffering from dryness lately. Finally, I gave myself a quick manicure with OPI Bubble Bath nail polish. The name is fitting, don't you think?

          Thanks for reading about my Sunday Soak! I hope everyone had a good weekend too. What are your favorite bath bombs or bubble baths?

:Love, Dovey.

OPI Tickle My France-y manicure

          Lately I've been all about nude and light pink nails. I've added several to my collection over the past month. It seems like I just can't get enough! One color that I consider a real standout is OPI Tickle My France-y. This is a color that was first released in 2008, but can be found in the 'permanent collection' OPI display. I'd heard about tickle my France-y several times; however after seeing it compared to Chanel Rose Cache on Beauty Look Book, I decided to check it out in person. I'm very glad I did!

         Above is my typical nail painting routine. I apply a Sephora by OPI base coat followed by two coats of OPI Tickle My France-y and finish with OPI Top coat. The top coat was a recent acquisition from one of the awesome Ulta buy 2 get 1 top/base coat free deals. I find both the top and base coat to function well for me because I'm not too concerned with lasting power. I like to change or remove colors often! They do dry fast enough for my liking, which is more important. The one thing is worth mentioning is that I definitely prefer OPI's classic wide brush to the small SOPI brush for application. It's applies more evenly and efficiently.

          Finally, you can see my finger swatches of OPI Tickle My France-y. It's a light-medium slightly greiged pink sheer with a creme finish. It is really flattering towards my skin tone since it doesn't pull out the red my hands. It has medium opacity at two coats, so you can see the nail line, however I keep my nails short so this is not an issue for me. The formula is so smooth and even that I could do a one coater for a sheerer effect. There are so many swatches of OPI Tickle My France-y available online that is difficult to gauge what it really looks like in person. After seeing online pictures I was quite shocked when I saw the real bottle in-store. It was considerably darker and more pink in-store than I had imagined it to be. Flash and sunlight tend to wash out the color, so in most online photographs Tickle My France-y looks more pale, greige, and beige. My pictures are more pink because they're representative of indoor lighting.

         Overall, I love this color. It's so easy to wear, chic, and applies like a dream. I think I might be an OPI re-convert, especially when it comes to sheers and pinks. I recently purchased a bottle of OPI Bubble Bath, another awesome OPI. What are your favorite OPI pinks?

Thanks for reading!

Love, Dovey.

Inspired by Burmese monks (19th cent.)

          There is always one point during the year when I'm drawn to the color purple. In fact, that time is usually mid to late fall, which is right about now. Recently I was inspired by this pair of kneeling monks from Burma (Myanmar) circa the 19th century. The golden bronze contrasting alongside the blackened indigo-purple was quite stunning. The colors feel regal, yet zen. When it comes to makeup, purple, bronze, and gold are some of my least favorite colors. It was therefore a good time to step out of my comfort zone and play with these colors.

          I have a friend who seems to wear purple eyeliner every time I see her. It's actually quite pretty. The purples I have are Make Up For Ever (MUFE) Aqua eyes liner in 6L and 11L. I mix 6L and 11L to get my desired blackened purple effect. The closest color to gold I have is MUFE 9L. You can see from the swatches below that 6L is a blackened berry, 11L is a medium purple, and 9L is a metallic yellow.
   

          While exploring my purple and gold color story, I pulled some of the purple and gold nail polish I have. For someone who doesn't use purple a lot, I have quite a few purple nail polish bottles. I wish I had a more indigo-blue toned purple to fit the bill today.

I also have Sephora by OPI's Only Gold For Me, which is a gold glitter topcoat with larger hex glitter and smaller pieces of glitter mixed in.

Sephora by OPI Only Gold for Me top coat

SOPI Iris I was thinner, SOPI Domestic Goddess, SOPI Only Gold for me, SOPI Metro Chic, OPI Tease-y does it

          Below, you can see swatches of Sephora by OPI Iris I was Thinner, Domestic Goddess, Metro Chic, and OPI Tease-y Does it. I think my favorite is SOPI Iris I was thinner. It's a very pretty blue-toned lavender. SOPI Domestic Goddess is a fuschia purple. SOPI Metro Chic was an incredibly popular color a few years back. It's a chic greyed mushroom purple. OPI Tease-y does it was released in the Burlesque movie collection. It has multi-faceted shimmer, which brings life to an otherwise dark color base. I've been switching up my pedicures using some of these purples. Right now I have on Metro-Chic.

          Thanks for reading my indigo-purple and golden bronze "inspired by" post. I'm trying to get the most use out of these colors before I go back to my usual non-purple frame of mind. If you want more purple and gold eyeliners, check out Makeup Magpie's recent post of the NARS Holiday 2011 eyeliners. St. Mark's Place and Campo de' Fiori would fit into the color scheme quite nicely =).

Love, Dovey. 

Inspired by Dusk

Inspired by Dusk

Last month I had the chance to visit Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Arches, and Canyonlands national parks and the thing I was most struck by were the colors. Imagine warm red sandstone, lichen on a boulder, or ghostly cast of trees burned by fire then bleached by sun... Not to mention, in a forest full of fragrant pine, there are infinite renditions of taupe.

One combination I found particularly striking were the cool greys, blues, and browns in the Yellowstone forest at dusk. These colors have inspired my makeup as of late. I've been mixing browns with blue greys; it's an unexpected combination with a lot of depth on the eyes.  In this post, I'll share photos and swatches of the products I've been using to acheive my dusk-inspired look.

Dusk inspired eye products

I've been favoring blue-toned greys and cool browns in combination. Usually I lay down a light champagne or nude shadow and a blue toned grey. NARS Tzarine is a really beautiful duo that's perfect for this. Urban Decay Gunmetal is a stronger more pigmented grey that leans blue that I love using as well. Then I take a cool coffee brown like Urban Decay Darkhorse or NARS Coconut grove and blend up from the lashline. Alternatively brown can be a crease color. I line with either a grey liner, such as Make Up Forever Aqua Eyes in 21L and 22L, or a brown such as Bare Escentuals Big and Bright eyeliner in Cork, Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner in expresso, and Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Whiskey, depending on how I feel. Sometimes I'll use grey on top and brown liner on the bottom lashline to make things interesting. Finally, I top with layers of NARS Larger than Life Volumizing Mascara.

Light pinky-peach lippies and illuminator

A strong eye needs a delicate peachy pink or nude colored lip. Bobbi Brown Rich Lip color in Bare Pink really tones down my lips, though it sometimes washes me out if I'm not careful. Bobbi Brown Lip Color in Bare Pink is a really pretty nude pink that's darker and a little more natural. I'll add a dab of light peach lip gloss, such as NARS Lip Gloss in Greek Holiday and BUXOM lip gloss in amber. I use minimal cheek color, and only highlight with NARS Illuminator in Orgasm.

Side note: I'm more and more convinced that my skin reacts to powder blush and powder foundation, so I've been avoiding the two lately. However, a light peach blush or bronzer would look great here.

OPI Not Like the Moves (from the Katy Perry collection)

For my current pedi, I've chosen OPI Not like the movies (swatches here) which is really complex greyed duo-, no multi-chrome shimmer. It flashes purple, pink, and green.

Finally, the swatches.

Eye shadow and liner swatches; full sunlight

Lippie and Illuminator swatches; full sunlight

I hope you enjoyed my attempts to create a dusk-in-the-forest inspired look. I've been contemplating a look inspired by canyons and sandstone. We'll see if I can manage to scrape up some warm sandy colors. They seem to be trending right now judging from the new Bobbi Brown desert inspired tortoiseshell palettes and Laura Mercier's Canyon collection. Thanks for reading!

Love, Dovey